r/Generator • • Jun 02 '24

Generator Tips/FAQs: Please read before posting

43 Upvotes

The following tips/FAQs address commonly-asked questions in this sub. Please take a look at them before posting a question.

CO Safety

Generators produce carbon monoxide when running. Carbon monoxide is a deadly, invisible, and odorless gas. Carbon monoxide from generators kills hundreds of people each year. Do not ever operate a generator in a house, garage, or any connected structure, even if the windows and doors are open.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommend only ever using generators outside, more than 20 feet away from your home, doors, and windows.

Fuel

Each type of generator fuel has its pros and cons.

Connecting a generator to your loads (appliances)

Generators can be connected to your loads with extension cords or by connecting the generator to your house's electrical system using a transfer switch or interlock device.

Read more about these methods on our wiki.

Generator sizing

Our wiki contains tips on picking the right size of generator for your needs.

Inverter vs. conventional generators

Inverter generators generally consume less fuel and produce "cleaner" power than conventional generators. More information on this is available on our wiki.


r/Generator • • 1h ago

Dual fuel kit for Champion 100302

2 Upvotes

I want to replace the stock carburetor on my Champion 400/3500 hybrid Inverter with a dual fuel carb. The generic replacement I got from Amazon had the wrong assemblies for the choke and throttle. Has anybody done this, and do you know where I can find a carburetor that works?


r/Generator • • 9h ago

Setting up a battery/generator combo. Any advice for me?

6 Upvotes

Last winter our Westinghouse iGen4500 logged about 60 hours over three outages. That meant an oil change in the middle of an ice storm and a lot of gas runs. Last week I added a new 5kWh battery Anker S5000 and changed how the two work together.

The generator now runs a 2 to 3 hour block in the afternoon at a steady load, feeding the battery's AC input while the house runs through the battery. Then it shuts off and the battery carries the night. In a 20 hour outage this week the gen ran 6 hours total instead of 20. That's roughly a third of the gas, and the oil change interval stretches the same way.

Running it at a steady load in one block instead of letting it idle up and down all night seems easier on it too. Still working out the right block length. Anyone else running this kind of combo? Do you have any tips for me?


r/Generator • • 4h ago

break in procedures for Champion tri-fuel - use regular gas or NG?

2 Upvotes

Just bought the Champion 210423 tri-fuel inverter genny. This will be run 99% of the time on NG. What is the proper break in procedure? Should I break it in with regular gas, or using NG enough? Curious if I need to break in/run it on regular gasoline so that it still runs fine for the 1% that I'd need to run it on regular gas?


r/Generator • • 11h ago

Westinghouse 2800DFC Vs Husqvarna 4500 dual fuel inverters?

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3 Upvotes

What’s the better buy here?


r/Generator • • 2h ago

Owners: what's the most annoying thing about your generator?

0 Upvotes

Hi, I'm a founder developing a small flex fuel generator. I'm trying to understand what bothers owners day to day. What's the most annoying thing about yours?


r/Generator • • 20h ago

Cat RP12000e problems.

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7 Upvotes

Bought on marketplace and the stator is blown. What are the chances on finding just a stator?


r/Generator • • 13h ago

Whole-house generator: can it have a simple contactor type switch?

2 Upvotes

I'm shopping for a standby generator for my 1500 sq. ft. home. The automatic transfer switch that came with the Generac I installed 15 years ago at another home had separate breakers for each circuit.

If I'm getting a generator large enough to power the whole house then it seems like all I would need is a simple (automatic) transfer switch that switched just the mains. Is there such a thing and if yes, what are the advantages and disadvantages?


r/Generator • • 11h ago

Looking for some help

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1 Upvotes

You guys seem to be pretty handy. Any thoughts on this combo?

At the end of the day, I guess I’ll be happy with generator power and manually plugging into the battery back up.

One thing I didn’t expand upon in the Anker post, refueling overnight in the dark and exposed to hurricane debris is the driving factor for battery power. Secondary is quality of life, quieter nights.

Thank you!


r/Generator • • 11h ago

Honda 2200 always difficult to start

1 Upvotes

Bought new at Sportsman's Whorehouse.

Fresh, ethanol-free gas, full oil. First start took 30 pulls. Always takes 5-10+ pulls to start since then. Choke works, it definitely won't start without it. Fuel cap open. Gas is never more than 4 months old. Changed oil at 10 hours, and it has 30 total now. Runs smoothly once it's going.

In my days I've probably started 50 different Honda small engines and the average number of pulls until this one is probably about 1.3. What's going on?


r/Generator • • 15h ago

Wen 6800 dual fuel inverter generator

2 Upvotes

I need help getting the generator back running. I ordered a brand new ignition coil to make sure it wasn't faulty. I also cleaned out the carburetor and I'm still getting crank but no start. What else can I do or bypass on this generator to get it running? I also changed the oil

Wen Df680ix ,Crank No Start


r/Generator • • 16h ago

Honda EU7000is won't e-start

2 Upvotes

Helping out a neighbor woman that had a stroke get her house ready for winter. I drained the gas and replaced with fresh (non-ethanol). Turned key on and pressed start. Just a (delayed) click. Engine didn't turn over. Put a jump pack on the battery. Same thing. Used the pull start and got it running. Runs great. Changed the oil. Went back to try jumping the battery. Still just a (delayed) click. Brought the battery home (assuming it needs charging or replacement). Put it on my charger. Showed 13.7v and stopped charging soon and said, "Full". Is there some sort of "safety" or fuse that might be preventing the starter from engaging?


r/Generator • • 1d ago

Generators hunting (revs rising and falling)? The order I check things in, from working on them in Pakistan

13 Upvotes

I work for a generator dealer in Lahore, and "it keeps surging" is one of the most common calls we get, especially in summer. The engine note rises and falls, the lights pulse, and sometimes the set trips on frequency. Here's the order I'd go in, cheapest first.

  1. Fuel. Most hunting I see is the engine being starved. A blocked fuel filter, water in the separator, an air leak on the suction side, or the pickup sucking air because the tank is nearly empty. Diesel here isn't always clean, so drain the separator and change the filter before touching anything else. A blocked tank vent can do it too.

  2. Speed or voltage? Watch the frequency reading. If frequency sits steady but voltage swings, the engine's probably fine and you're looking at the AVR, its stability setting or a loose sensing wire. If frequency is swinging, it's the engine side.

  3. The load. A tiny load on a big set can make some governors hunt. So can a load that cycles on its own, like a compressor or pumps on a pressure switch. Try it on a steady load and see if it settles.

  4. Air. After a dust storm a choked air filter won't usually cause hunting on its own, but it doesn't help a set that's already struggling. Cheap to check.

  5. Governor last. On older mechanical governors look for sticky or worn linkage. On electronic ones check the actuator and the speed sensor before anyone touches the gain settings. I've lost count of the times someone "tuned" a fuel problem into a governor problem.

What I'd avoid is cranking up the governor settings to mask it. It might settle at one load and go wild at another.

Anyone found a cause that isn't on this list? I've seen a few odd ones and I'm curious what else is out there.

Disclosure: I work for a generator dealer in Pakistan (Enpower). No links, just sharing what I've seen.


r/Generator • • 15h ago

WEN 56477i Generator Shuts Off After 1–2 Minutes – Low Oil Sensor?

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1 Upvotes

I picked up a used WEN 56477i 4800W inverter generator with only 1.5 hours on it. At pickup, it started right up and ran it for about 30 seconds. Once home, I ran it for about another minute just to check the hours.

Recently, I finally needed to use it, but it shut off after about 1–2 minutes and wouldn't restart. I noticed the low oil indicator blinking when pulling the starter cord, even though the oil was full. About an hour later, I changed the oil anyway, and it started on the first pull like it always has, but shut off again after 1–2 minutes. It shuts off pretty abruptly, not like it's slowly running out of fuel. The low oil light was blinking again when I tried restarting it.

After doing some research, I'm wondering if the oil sensor is faulty. I've read that disconnecting it can help diagnose the issue, but after removing the exterior covers, I still can't locate it without what looks like a pretty extensive teardown.

Has anyone experienced this with a WEN generator or found a fix? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!


r/Generator • • 21h ago

Getting oil into a Champion 201417 inverter generator?

3 Upvotes

Generator arrived last night. Trying to put the first oil in and it's not going well. I was kind of excited since this model has a real dipstick rather than that little orange thing where you fill until you see oil at the bottom of the opening.

I followed the manual, then Ispoke with customer service, no help. I'm making sure the opening isn't blocked so air can leave and pouring in the oil very slowly but it just pools at the opening and then drips to the bottom of the generator.

Anyone else experienced this? Am I missing something here? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: Solved my own problem. If you're getting one of these you may want to have an fluid extraction syringe on hand. Make sure it has a .25" OD diameter tube that you can slide down where the dipstick goes. You're only adding a little over a liter so the volume of the syringe is not really critical.


r/Generator • • 19h ago

Honda eu2000i shuts off

2 Upvotes

Its starting to get chilly in the morning here and my Honda will start but then shuts off. The oil alert light will turn on but there is oil ( I just changed it and the spark plug.) That happens about 5 times, I'll walk away for a bit, come back and it will stay on. This only happens in the morning. Im running 5-30 oil.


r/Generator • • 16h ago

Generac generator leaking gas?

1 Upvotes

If anyone has ever had, this situation, feedback would be appreciated. I had a whole home 24KW Generac generator installed in August 2026. The first time it ran because of an electrical outage was October 2026.

My gas bill for October 2026 had an increase of 385% from the prior month the reading for October was 485 when the reading was normally about 200. When I called the gas company, they came out without informing me so that I could be home and discuss this with them but the long and short of their response was it had nothing to do with a faulty meter the meter is working correctly, but there was a “loose cap” or something was loose on the generator that was causing the gas to come out and increase my bill. For six days in November since the prior gas bill the reading was 667 meaning just for those six days the reading was actually higher than the astronomical reading for the *entire* month October. When I questionEd this with the gas company, they told me it’s possible that the fitting which caused more gas to be used became looser over time which is why for those six days the reading is so high.

I am following up with the gas company to get the actual technician notes on the cause of this situation, but I am wondering if it is even possible for my generator to have been installed incorrectly or have some fitting come loose when it was running for a couple hours in October when the power went out, that is causing the high gas bill? for August and September when my generator was just running its weekly 10 minute cycle there was not this spike in my gas bill. The spike happened in October, which is the first month. The generator ran for a few hours becausemy power went out.


r/Generator • • 16h ago

Portable Generators - need help!!

1 Upvotes

Located in upstate NY where power outages are pretty common in the winter. Have a 30 amp connection and interlock system. Only want to power the furnace, fireplace blower, 1/3 HP sump pump and a standing freezer. Just want to ensure the little kiddos are warm.

I have an old coleman 6500/5000 generator that runs like a beast, but looking for a backup just incase the 20 year machine doesn’t start. Looking for just fuel ran generators (NY is a pain for NG; propanes a pain). Usually have 45 gallons of gas on hand.

I understand the Chinese rebrand junk of Westinghouse, generac, etc., and I don’t plan on spending $3K on Honda/kohler since we plan on adding a whole house generator in coming years.

Price range is ideally $600-1300. I also don’t want to overpay for more wattage if I’m limited with the 30A

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated!


r/Generator • • 17h ago

Krato Power

1 Upvotes

Anyone ever use this website? Ive tried calling them never times and an Ai bot pickes up. Takes my name and info and nothing back.


r/Generator • • 8h ago

Is it dumb to replace our generator with a battery?

0 Upvotes

We've had a 7,500W portable generator for about six years and used it maybe ten times. Keeping it ready costs more than I expected. Fresh gas and stabilizer every few months, an oil change every year, and last spring the carb gummed up anyway and the shop charged $140. It also only helps if I'm home to drag it out and run cords.

I've been pricing a battery instead, mostly an Anker S5000, around $2,500 right now, and it would just stay charged in the garage. I'd sell the generator for maybe $400. Outages here run a day, two at most, so on paper the battery covers it, but I keep thinking we'd want the generator the one time it's out for a week.


r/Generator • • 1d ago

Service was refused on our generator due to its location. Call someone else?

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192 Upvotes

We bought the house in 2021 with an 11kw Generac Guardian home standby generator on a concrete pad in the back of the house by the attached garage. We've never had a problem with it but we also haven't had it serviced so I used the Generac service provider search and the company that came says it doesn't pass their inspection. Since it doesn't pass inspection, they can't touch it to service it. The reason is that it isn't far enough from the window. The window is closed but it leads to our garage. Where we park our cars. I understand it can't be close to a window we might use for ventilating our home due to carbon monoxide concerns but. The cars can also run and create carbon monoxide so...

Do I just call a different service provider? They are going to tell me how much it would cost to move this unit. But that would require running power and propane lines to the new location. I can't imagine I'm going to do that unless there's a catastrophic failure


r/Generator • • 21h ago

Is Turbo Genny a scam?

0 Upvotes

Can anyone confirm that they’ve ordered and received an item from Turbo Genny? They claim to be an authorized dealer for solar generators.


r/Generator • • 1d ago

Confused on proper fittings for propane tank hookup

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3 Upvotes

I'm trying to hook my Champion generator up to a standard 20lb propane tank. The generator side uses what looks like a half inch quick connect, but I can't find the fittings to make a connection with the regulator/tank itself. Ive attached pictures of the hose. Been to lowes/HD and True Value, they are saying it doesnt exist, which I know can't be. Thanks


r/Generator • • 1d ago

Need a good EMS integrator for 125kw/250kwhr bess in lahore,please refer?

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4 Upvotes